With the mobile phone quickly becoming a necessity in all households across the country, there is need to avail to Kenyans living off-the-grid, with a reliable means of energy that will ensure they keep in touch with their loved ones, at a low cost through a highly competitive entry level Internet enabled device.

This is why Orange has partnered GreenLight Planet, a US based company that delivers affordable energy to off-grid consumers, to provide clean, safe affordable solar lighting to Kenyan homes in areas that have limited access to electricity, through the use of solar lamps with a USB charging mechanism.

The firms have launched a competitive range of product bundles that include Internet enabled mobile handsets and solar lamps. These two-in-one packages provide for the triple objective of:

  • Lighting up the home via clean energy;
  • Providing affordable mobile telephony with the low cost of the Internet enabled mobile device;
  • Eliminating high phone charging and kerosene costs.

The mobile phone enlightens people's minds through communication and information, connecting them to a wider global family. The availability of solar lamps to light up their homes and charge their phones makes a great combination since it facilitates the attainment of more information through the various modes including books and access to electronic mass media.

Mobile data remains one of the fastest growing services in the mobile telephony market as it reached 14.7 million subscribers from the latest Communication Authority sector statistics. During the quarter under review, Orange grew its mobile data subscriptions to 1.9 million from 1.6 million the previous quarter.

The Internet enabled device being bundled with the solar lamps will be officially launched in early March this year. Orange has in the past three months embarked on further improving the quality of its data services, as well as expanding its reach to more regions across the country.

The solar lamps, under the brand name Sun King™, which also come with a 2 year-warranty, will be available in all Orange shops countrywide and may be purchased, bundled, with the low cost Internet enabled mobile phone from Orange.

The solar lamps bundled with the mobile phone will cost KSh 3,899 for the Sun King mobile, KSh 4,699 for the Sun King Pro II and KSh 8,799 for the Sun King Home. The stand-alone solar devices that are not bundled with the Orange mobile device will cost KSh 2,900 for the Sun King Mobile, KSh 3,700 for the Sun King Pro II and KSh 7,800 for the Sun King Home.

Greenlight Planet's flagship Sun King™ Pro products provide ten times brighter light output than the typical kerosene lantern, charge mobile phones, and pay for themselves in less than nine months.